Prophesy of the Passion Last week we talk about the need to trust in God to Guide us through the difficult time we are facing, we talked about how faith in God will conquer all of our fears. This week I thought that perhaps you have had enough conversation about the corona virus and what your response should be. So I thought that given that we are approaching Holy Week, we should focus on some of the reasons why we believe so strongly that Faith in Christ conquers fear. Of course, during Holy Week, we embrace the discussion about passion and the whole account of how Jesus died on the cross. This is a story that is truly an account that changes our lives on its face, but It becomes even more amazing when we relate it to all of the prophesy that is fulfilled by almost every part of Jesus’ death on the cross. So, I thought that our challenge for today would be to ponder not only the story of Jesus at Calvary, but also how his passion was foretold in detail by old testament writings that predating Jesus death by hundreds of years. Palm Sunday Prophesy At the very beginning of Holy week is the story of Palm Sunday; Jesus triumphant entry into the Holy City. Zechariah 9:9 says “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey. Fulfillment This prophesy is fulfilled in all four Gospels in the telling of the familiar story of Jesus ride into the Holy city on a donkey. It is the common Palm Sunday Story. Matt. 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12

Betrayal of Jesus Prophesy: Psalm 41:9 says, “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

Prophesy:

It says in :12. “I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of .

Fulfillment:

This combination of these prophesies is fulfilled in the Gospel of :14-16 and parallels in the other gospels. This account tells the story of Judas betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

The rest of Judas’s story

Prophesy:

Zechariah 11:13 is the prophesy about the rest of Judas’s story. It says, “And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the LORD.””

Fulfillment:

This prophesy finds its fulfillment in Matthew 26:1-10. Which is the story of Judas returning the silver pieces and hanging himself in the potter’s field.

The sheep of the Flock will be scattered

Prophesy:

Zechariah 13:7 says, ““Awake O Lord against my shepherd against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. Strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”

Fulfillment

This prophesy finds its fulfillment in :56 which says, ““But this has taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”” Then all of the disciples deserted him and fled.”

Unjust Trial against Jesus Prophesy: Psalm 109:1-5 says “O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for wicked men and deceitful men have opposed me: They have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In turn for my friendship, they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. Fulfillment: The fulfillment of this prophesy is found in the narrative of the trial of the Sanhedrin: Matthew 26:57-67 and in the account of Pilate and Herod found in Luke 22:66-23:25. False testimony is brought before the Sanhedrin and hateful shouts calling for Jesus death echoed across the land as he stood before Pilate and Herod.

Nothing that we should desire Him. Prophesy Isaiah 53:2-3 says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him; nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with sufferings.”

Fulfillment: Jesus, humbly entering the Golden Gate on a donkey; Jesus betrayed, Jesus arrested, Jesus mocked and beaten and made to carry his own cross; they chose Barabbas to go free and him they sent to the cross. He was crucified in the company of thieves. Nothing in all of this shows us the image of a powerful authoritative king that the world would desire or be attracted to. Rather the image is a man despised and rejected. A man who knows sorrow and sufferings. The iniquity of us all Prophesy: Isaiah 53:4-5 says, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray; each one of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Fulfillment: The fulfillment of this prophesy comes from the telling of the entire story of Jesus passion. Yet its fulfillment was only recognized after Jesus made his blessed sacrifice. The fulfillment of this portion of the prophesy is about Jesus sacrifice, but it is also about the people’s blindness when it comes to the light and love that flowed from the vanes of his body in order of ensure that by his wounds we are healed. Like the disciples, we are all a little slow to believe in the miracle of his risen presence in our lives. He was led to slaughter Prophesy. Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to slaughter and as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgement, he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living” Fulfillment: In Matthew 27:11-14 and 27-33. It says that he did not respond to a single charge leveled against him, and that he was led away to the place of the skull called Golgotha where he was crucified.

Today we talked about the prophesy that predicted the events that led up to the Cross. Next week, we will talk about the prophesies that predicted the events that actually took place on that hill that is really not that far away, because the meaning of that event is in each one of our hearts On this Holy Week that stretches out before us, the image of the cross and Jesus willingly dying for our salvation is the theme. But isn’t that theme even more meaningful when we keep in mind that God told humanity about our coming Savior hundreds of years before Christ purchased our salvation by his body and blood on the top of a hill called Calvary.